Method of inserting balls between race members



H. M. ROCKWELL.

METHOD OF INSERTING BALLS BETWEEN RACE MEMBERS. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1. 1920.

11 Acl 9,52 1 D Patented line 13, 1922.

ATTORNEY EDGE-I IVE. ROCKWELL, OE BRISTOL, CONNECTZCU IJJZENTS, '20 STANDARD BEARING):

TON, DELIJJVARE, EL COBPORATZUIT GE RELAX/ Application filed May 1, 1320.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that l. HUGH M. EOCIUVILLL, a citizen of the United. States, and a resident of Bristol, in the county of 1 trttord and h t-ate Connecticut, l ave invented certain new and useful Tn'iprovements in Methoi Inserting Balls Between 1 Race l /ieu'ihers of which the 'i'OllOY-Jlilg is a specification.

This invention relates to antiifriction bearlogs and more especially to a method of assembling); ball bearings oi? the self-contained or unit-handling type.

In ball bearings of this type either the inner or outer race member or both are provided with a groove extending from the face of the race member to the raceway tor the purpose of supplying a filling opening through which a portion of the balls may be inserted. The groove or grooves are so arranged as not to interrupt the ball tracks. instead there is leit at the inner end of the groove or grooves a slightshoulder or shoulders past which the ball has to be snapped and which serves to prevent the escape of a ball from the raceways. These shoulders are necessarily very slight in order that the ball be not distorted or injured when snapped into the raceways. F or example, in a single-row bearing having a groove in each race member each shoulder is from two to tour thousandths of an inch. For many reasons it is desirable that the shoulder at the inner end oi? the groove be higher than has heretofore been possible.

I have devised a method of: introducing balls into the raceways, the practice of which allows such shoulders to be materially increase l. Bearings assembled according to this method may have the grooves so cut that the vertical distance between the ball track or the raceway and the end otthe groove is from twentyfive to thirty-five t-housandths ct an inch.

In the improved method of introducing balls between the raceways, advantage is taken of the expansion of metal when heated and of the resiliency ot the race members. Before attempting to insert the balls between the raceways of two race members, the outer race member heated. to as high av temperature as possible without injuring its temper, the inne race member being retained at normal temperature or artificially Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 1%?22.

Serial No. 378,309.

cooled as desired. Then by eccentric displacement or other method most o'i ls are introduced between the race mems Ji ith the two race n; mbers in assent d. relation a ball laced in the outer end. oi? the filling opening ready to be insert- :tween the hall tracks. Pressure is then iplied to each race member to force l ar- 1; er apart hi0 portions of the race 3 adjacent the ball, such pressure proteins being applied by means of a wedge, the nose of which is shaped to tit into the filling opening. The resiliency of the tempered race members allows the portions against which the pressure is applied to yield sufliciently to snap in the ball and to return to normal position after the pressure is relieved.

The invention is illustrated diagrammatically in the accompanying drawings wherein Jig. 1 is a view of the heating means;

F 2 is: a view of the pressure-applying mea s.

A bath of oil 1 is maintained at a temperature 0t from 300 to 350 F. by means of any sunab-le source of heat 2. The outer race member 3 is immersed in the bath 1 and is kept there until it has attained the tempera ture of the oil the inner race member 4 being left on the shelt 5 and kept at room temperature or lower if desired. After the outer race member is suthciently heated it is removed from the bath and as many balls inserted between the race members as can be gotten in without pressure, this being accomplished according to methods well known in the art. With the race members arranged in assembled relation, a ball is dropped into the filling opening and a pres sure tool 6 h aving a tapering nose shaped to fit into the filling opening. said nose having a recess to receive the ball, is brought into contact with the ace members. The tool 6 is torced into the filling opening, thus exerting pressure on the race members to enlarge the radial distance between opposed portions thereof. A spring-pressed plunger 7 or other suitablemeans forces the ball through the. filling opening when the race members have been. sufliciently separated.

Using this method of assembly the height of the shoulder or shoulders left on one or both race members between the ball track.

and the e. d l' e filling opening can be increased a3 roi ilately tenfold. 'ihus all danger of escape of a ball from the race members is prevented and there is obtained a larger effective groove for the balls to travel in.

It is, oi course, understood that while the drawings disclose the method as practiced in, connection with single-row bearings, the method is equally well applicable to doublerow bearings.

"What claim is: i. The method of insert-i calls between Lire raccn'ays oi antifrierion oca rr 's which consists in heating the outer race member to a ten'lperature materially in excess of that o? the inner race member, applying pressure to opposed portions oi" the race members in directions to spread said members apart, and simultaneously forcing a hall between the race members: adjacent the points of application of said pressure.

2. The method of assembling unit-handling ball hearings in which the inner and outer race members are integral structures in one or both of which there is a filling opening extending short of the ball track, said method consisting in heating the outer race member to a relatively high temperature with respect to the inner race member, then bringing the two race members into concentric position, applying pressure to 0pposed portions of the ace members in directions to spread said members apart adjacent the tilting opening, and simultaneously applying pressure to a ball to force the same through the filling opening whereby the remainder oi? the balls are inserted between the two ace members.

3. The method oi. inserting balls; between the race rings of an antiiiriction bearing which consists in heating the outer race ring to expand the same and thereby Widen the gap between the outer and the inner rings,

and in forcing a ball tl'irough the widened gap into operative position between the ring". I

HUGH M. ROUICWELL. 

